Torque indicating and shock absorber device



P 1953 R. R. CROOKSTON AL 2,651,197

TORQUE INDICATING AND SHOCK ABSORBER DEVICE lfiled D99. 16, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. Robert R. Crooksfon, 3 lames 8. Waters,

I AGE R. R. CROOKSTON r AL 2,651,197 NDICATING AND sHoqx ABSORBER DEVICE Sept. 8, 1953 TORQUE I Filed Dec. 16, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT flllillll v 7 FIG. 2.

0R5. Robert R- Crooksfon, By James 8- Waters,

Sept. 8, 1953 TORQUE INDICATING A ND SHOCK ABSORBER DEVICE- Filed D60. 16, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Clock-wise Pressure Bags Fill-up Valve 9 Hlgh Torque Gage Low Torque Gage Fill-up Valve 20 2s 25 24 L24 L24 F24 Counter Clockwise Pressure Bags FIG. 3.

. INVENTORS.

Robert R. Crooksfon,

By James 8. Waters,

R. R. CROOKSTON Er AL 2,651,197

Sept. 8, 1953 R. R. CROOKSTON El AL 2 TORQUE INDICATI NG AND SHOCK ABSORBER DEVICE Filed Dec. 16, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS. Robert R. Crooksfon, F I 6. 4.

By James 5. Waters,

j FIG. 5.

' 1 ,0 FIG. 6.

Sept. 8, 1953 R. R. CRQQKSTQN n M 2,651,197

TORQUE INDICATING AND saocx ABSORBER DEVICE Filed Dec. 16, 1950 6 Sheets-Shet 5 INVENTORS. Robert R. Crooksfon,

BY James S. Wafers,

flag/9 i 5657'.

Sept. 8, 1953 R. R. CROOKSTON ET AL 2,651,197

TORQUE INDICATING AND SHOCK ABSORBER DEVICE Filed Dec. 16, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 62 Indica for Bar White) INVENTORJ. Robert R. Crooksfon,

James S. Wafers,

Patentecl Sept. 8, 195 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TORQUE INDICATING'AND snocK ABSORBER DEVICE Robert R. Orookston and James S. Waters, Houston, Tex., assig'nors, by mesne assignments, to Standard Oil Development Company, Elizabeth,

. J., a corporation of Delaware Application December 16, 1950, Serial No. 201,212 6 Claims. (01. 73-436) 2 The present invention is directed to apparatus bag member is arranged. As the inner housing for indicating torque on a rotary drilling mamoves arcuately the force applied thereto re- ,chine. More particularly, the apparatus is disuits in compression of the deformable bag memrected to a device for measuring torque transber containing a hydraulic fluid which transthe deformable bag member. The present invention may be described brief- The invention will be described in further dely as a torque indicating and shock absorbing tail by reference to the drawing in which Fig. 1 is a top view of the device of the present shaft. The apparatus comprises an outer housinvention incorporated in 2. Kelly drive bushing ing which defines with an outer surface thereof housing;

vertically spaced scale markings and has at least 5 Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 showing the one window therein. An inner housing is disbag members;

Fig. 3 is a flow diagram showing the moveent of the hydraulic fluid from the deformable housing is adapted to receive an engaging means bag members to the indicating means;

for the driven shaft. Arranged on the outer Fig. 4 is an elevational view in partial section vhousing 111 the annulus is at least one radial in of the indicating means;

Fig. 5 is a view taken along line V-V of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a view taken along line VI-VI of wardly extending member which is horizontally Fig. 5; removed from the inwardly extending member. Fig. 7 is an elevational view with parts cut away The inwardly extending and outwardly extendof Fig. 6 to show arrangement of the elements ing members define a confined space in which is with respect to each other; and

Fig. 8 is an elevational View of the apparatus formable bag member is arranged between the ofthe present invention showing the scale markinwardly and outwardly extending members and 'ings and the relationship of the outer housing Ii) to the Kelly bushing.

In the several views of the drawing identical h Window an is adap to l y a Value 011 numerals will be employed to designate identical the scale markings on the exterior surface of parts, the outer housing on transmission of rotary mo- Referring now t th drawing numeral m ignates an outer housing having radially spaced An inner houshousing relative to the outer housing.

. The apparatus of the present inv n n is nular space l3. The inner housing I2 is provided slgned to indicate torque app d either in a 40 with lugs I i to accommodate rollerinserts which clockwise or counterclockwise direction. By proare adapted t b engaged wi v d at l st tw de rma e bag m mbe each faces of a vertically positioned Kelly bar, not of which is arranged between an outwardly and shown I The inner housing l2 defines on its outer surthe two bag members to the indicating means face pairs of equally spaced outwardly extending The inner housing is arranged in the outer extending members ii are hydraulic rubber bags housing for limited arcuate movement therein l6 which are adapted to receive a hydraulic fluid relative to the outer housing The arcuate move- The hydraulic rubber bags l6 may suitably be ment is limited by the distance between an inconstructed of a deformable material which is wardly extending member and an outwardly exresistant to hydraulic flui For example, se-

attack by hydraulic fluids, such as hydrocarbon oils. Arranged in the annular space l3 are two indicating means or gauge devices I! which will be described in further detail. One or the indicating means may be a low torque indicating gauge and the other indicatin means may be a high torque indicating gauge. The annular space i3 is alsdprovidedwith double check'valve which is employed to distribute hydraulic fluid to the deformable bags 16 in a manner to be de-' scribed further.

The hydraulic bag II; are interconnected by conduits l9 and 20. The conduit it serves to connect a series of deformablfbagsflt fo'rindicating torque on clockwise motion whereasthe conduit 20 interconnects aseries'o'f'bagsfd findif eating torque on counterclockwise motion.

Referring now to Fig. 3, a fir's't'set' ot'hydraulic bags l6 are connected to conduit l9 by branch lines 21. Conduit i9 is provided withafilling' valve 22 which connects to a source, net shown, of hydraulic fluid'by line 23. second set of hydrauli'c bags'dfi areconnected' to line 20 by branch'linei 24. Conduit 2}}; like conduit 19, is filling valve 25 which may be 26' to a source of hydraulic Conduits l9 and 20 are interprovided with a connected by line fluid, not shownl" connected'by 'a" double check valve lows'thehydraulicfluid'to be transmitted from either of the set ofbags It to the high torque gauge l'l'or' to the low torque gaugell, as may be desired, through" line "23 which connects to branches 'zfiand' 31!.Lizie 28 is provided with a ble 'd' line'3l containin -a valve 32 to bleed off h ulic fl d. when desir d Th ic t n means employed in the" practice of' the present invention is described in more detail in Figs. 4 to qgmclusiveg Referring now to Figs. fl to 7 numeral 33 represents a frame" member for the indicating means generally" designated as I]; means is arranged adjacent to a window 3 1 in the housing l as shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 2, and 81' "The indicating means H is provided with a hous n 3 which is r an e i the gentler 's'paxbel3 andis 'ttachedto the outer housing ill. The gauging nieansis provided with a first pair of pul e s 36 an team pair of pulleys 3 1 3K535 a e ar ea s? 1 sha attached o the housing '35 and are'firn'ily affixed thereto by nuts 38. Pulleys 3Tare carried by a'shaft 33 arranged in a bearing 40 carried-by an extension member 41 of the housing 35. Shaft 39 is provided with a sprocket wheel 42 "which is attached to'a chain 43 which, in turn, i attached to a piston member 44. The housing '35 is provided with an internal piston cylinder 45 surrounding a stationary guide member 46 which defines a central passageway 41 which connects to either the conduit 19 or 2B. The piston 44 is embraced by a compression means 48 which urges the piston 44 in an upward direction in the housing 35. The guiding or stationary member 46 and the piston member 44 are provided with a sealing means, such as an O-ring 49. A guide bushing sleeve 501's arranged in a This indicatin space at defined by the piston 44 and the mem- Y ber 46 and embraces re oirculating balls arranged therein. Sleeve 50 serves as a ground bearing race and return passage for the balls.

Theindicating means I! is provided with a third pair of pulleys 53 which carry a spring 54 which is encased in a housing 55 provided with'a cover plate 55. Attached to pulleys 31 by a clamp 51 are cables 53 which pass over pulleys 38 and are attached to pulleys 53 by screw 59 Pulleys 53 are arranged on a shaft 68 carried by the housing 35. The springs 54 are attached to the pulleys 53 by a suitable connection means such as a screw 6 l. Arranged on the cable 58 of whichthere are two in number i an indicator bar 62- which is displayed in the window 34 of the outer housing it w 'Thisindicator bar is in juxtaposition with ver-' tically spaced markings B3 on the outer housing In as shown more clearly in Fig. 8.

The device oi'the present invention operates as ol ows;

As rotary motion is transmitted to the outer m an-gm by the'Kelly bushing drive 64 the outer'housing' It, and the inner housing l2 are causedto imitate turn imparting rotary motion toth'e Kelly 'ban'not shown, embraced by the innerhdusing T2; .Any force which tends to restrict easy rotation of the Kelly drive, such as diamond coring in hard formations, backing off of safety joints or fishing or milling operations, causes limited arcuate movementbi the inner housing 12 limited by, the inwardly extending members H and the outwardlyext'endingfrnerribers l5. As a result'bi the limited arcuate movement of the inner housing 1'2 the bagslt which are filled with 'a hydraulic fluid'are compressed forcing hydraulic 'fluidinto either conduits 9'' or 28 and thence into passageway 41 ofth'eih ting means i l. The hydraulidfiuid causes the piston 44 to move downward ca s rotation of the sprocket wheel "qztpreugh chain 43 r and? 1 ny h pulley 35' by cable 58,"tensi on beingm mmmeu on the'cable 58 by{spring 5 4 wh ch causes t'he' cable as carrying theindicatori ifto "mo 5- ward allowin'g'torgue to'be indicatedbnthe markings 63f The entire assembly 10 including the inner housing It is rotate jrapidlyf'ldy" eeidrmgtte outer surface of housing lnblue, for ezkazriple, and having the calibration markings s3 lira cejritr'a'sting color, such as redjand the inci ator Still the 1 ch Wh e. i h ble t observe y i ftlli? 9 W lefi' eelei abdth on a thereof, t rque bs s ese f h drive mechanism. In'short, th markings {is in turn, causes rotation er ma read from lOQOtdiiLOQQ fQQt-p 10. .0 0 QDQO ibet nds markings may in icat an d. torque; ""LM e c l masses 9? the a e m ersetien In the embodime have 'beenshown as ecm the deformable'b within'the tangular in "shape. It s i d cope, Qt the a s of d fie're i than e dd men example, they may be con'struetedo i shape or in the shape of a'p'a W containhydraulic'fiuid.

In the foregoing'description taken with severalfigures o'f'the w that, while the a p 7 tion functions ass; torguel' indicator, 5156 s I as a means o gain n Shbc f The apparatusinay beco tructed to allow v y he strens hbtthe. t Obtain n dicator" 62 se e a inch s W t mi by dis cem n n the th m device functions satisfactorily with a to 1 multiplier but this may --be' adjusted by suitably e 011 transmisslon of o a y m o to choosing compression means 48' ofdiflerent outer surface thereof vertically spaced scale The nature and objects of the present invenfin device adapted to embrace a driven shaft extending member arranged on said inner housspaced from one another, said m housing and outwardly extending members andagaugin means for said qriven shaft at least one radial on transmission of rotary motion to said driven removed from said inwardly extending member, devlce,adapted embrace a P Shaft Paving bag mgmber tiavi-ng an indicator arrapged in and axially spaced from one another and having member by arcuate movement of said inner driven Shaft: plurality of l y spaced incombination, an Outer housipg defining with an 60 zontally removed from said inwardly extending inner housing concentrically arranged in said mg means.fiuldl.y connected to said g members radially spaced inwardly extending members ar- 5. A device in accordance with claim 4 in which the scale markings and the indicator are said inwardly extending members, a plurality of 5 in contrasting colors and the o in said outer housing for arcuate movement relaa vertically position rection which comprises, in combination, an outer housing defining with an outer surface window in juxtaposition with said scale mark- 7 ing generally circumferentially and axially spaced from one another and having at. least one window therein, said outer surface and said scale markings being in difierent colors, an inner housing concentrically arranged in said outer housing for limited arcuate movement relative to said outer housing efin-ing an annular space with said outer housing, at. least. first and second radially spaced inwardly extending members arranged to said outer housing in said annular space, at least first and second outwardly extending members arranged on said inner housing horizontally removed from said; firstw and sec.- ond inwardly extending members, at. least first and second deformable bag members adapted p hydraulic fluid arranged between the firstand secondoutwardly and inwardly: extending, hydraulic. gauging means in said annular space fluidly.- connected to said first and; second bag. members by means of a conduit defining a. passageway for transmission of ahydraulicfluidiromsaid'bagimembers to said gaugin meansand vice'versa, saidacondnit bein provided, with al yalvemeans for-restricting flow ofv hydraulic fluid to the. gauging means. from the first: bag, member on, applicationv in a clockwise direction andior restricting; flow of torque 25 a of, hydraulic fluid to the gauging means from the second bag member on application of torque in a. counterclockwise direction and an indicator connected and responsive to said gauging means arranged in said window in juxtaposition with said scale markings having. a color contrasting therewith and different from that of the scale markings and the outer surface adapted to display a visiblevaluethereonon transmission of rotary motion to said driven shaft and compression ofoneot said have members by arcuate movement-of said innerhousingi relative to said outer housing limited by said inwardly and outwardly extending members.

ROBERT E. CROOKSTON. JAM-ES; S. WATERS.

References Giteilthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

